How the Sand Island Lighthouse got its island back

[Coach Hank Crisp]

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In the late 1960s and 1970s our family use to visit the island. Then the dredging of the ship channel and the many hurricanes washed away all the sand from the island. We have fished just around the lighthouse for the past 30 years. That is good news to have an island around the old lighthouse again.

This Oct. 25, 2011 photo of Sand Island lighthouse off the Alabama coast shows the effect of an ongoing island re-nourishment project. (Press-Register/Ben Raines)

For the first time in a generation, Sand Island Lighthouse lives up to its name.

As of Monday afternoon, the lighthouse once again has an island of sand surrounding its base.

On Tuesday, a trio of bulldozers pushed sand pumping out of a big metal dredge pipe into a hill that rose about 8 feet above the surrounding sea. A team of surveyors staked out the contours of the still growing island, which will continue to increase in size for the next several weeks.

For decades, the lighthouse was a small island unto itself, a forlorn brick pinnacle perched atop a heap of rocks and concrete. Dredging of the Mobile Ship Channel had sliced through the natural sand delivery system that runs along the Alabama coast and prevented new sand from washing onto Sand Island.

Over time, the island — once large enough for the lighthouse keeper to graze a herd of cows — shrank beneath the waves. But now, thanks to $6 million in federal funding awarded in the early days of the BP oil spill, the island is back where it belongs.

“If you don’t think that is going to make a lot of people happy, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Hal Pierce of the Alabama Lighthouse Association. “This is a profoundly important moment. It’s going to allow safe access to the light, which we haven’t had in years. We’ll be able make repairs to the light. People can visit it.”

[pmull]

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

[SUPERCOACH]

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

I thought that as well.

[Old Tider]

Maybe the Alabama Lighthouse Association bamboozled the British. But who decided how the funds are allocated?

[XBAMA]

that old lighthouse is in pretty bad shape
if they aren't going to fix it up ?
at least now it has a place to land when it topples over
beside the GOM

 

[cbbama99]

Good stuff. We have a black and white photo of the lighthouse at our pacle. The Mrs. wanted a lighthouse motif for the restroom. Don't ask me why, I just do what I am told.

[pmull]

Good stuff. We have a black and white photo of the lighthouse at our pacle. The Mrs. wanted a lighthouse motif for the restroom. Don't ask me why, I just do what I am told.

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

[Coach Hank Crisp]

Good stuff. We have a black and white photo of the lighthouse at our pacle. The Mrs. wanted a lighthouse motif for the restroom. Don't ask me why, I just do what I am told.

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

 

[XBAMA]

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

yes sir ... the IQ average of this forum just went up at least 20 points 

[cbbama99]

Good stuff. We have a black and white photo of the lighthouse at our pacle. The Mrs. wanted a lighthouse motif for the restroom. Don't ask me why, I just do what I am told.

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

Amen, brother. 

[N.AL-Tider]

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

I'm not positive but I think you misread the article.  I don't believe that BP had to pay for this project.  The article said, "thanks to $6 million in federal funding awarded in the early days of the BP oil spill"

But I could be mistaken...

[BAMAWV]

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

IDK how the BP settlement was drafted but perhaps there were funds specifically earmarked for "General Restoration". Just a thought.

[XBAMA]

UPDATE ....

As of 2o'clock Saturday afternoon, Sand Island is no longer connected to the Lighthouse. The island is over half gone in a little over three months. Today there is a gap between the island & the lighthouse rocks about 30 feet wide and looks deep enough to run a good size boat thru.

[pmull]

UPDATE ....

As of 2o'clock Saturday afternoon, Sand Island is no longer connected to the Lighthouse. The island is over half gone in a little over three months. Today there is a gap between the island & the lighthouse rocks about 30 feet wide and looks deep enough to run a good size boat thru.

Well... That was $6 Million wasted washed out to sea.

[XBAMA]

I wondered how long it would last  

anyone that has ever anchored there knows the current comes
through there like a freight train ...
your anchor rope will vibrate like crazy , if the anchor doesn't pull first ...

then from the other side you have the GOM pounding it and if
the weather is bad the pounding is way worse .

so I have to ask ?  
what in the hell did they think was going to happen ?  

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